moffitt



(N0 ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. R. MOPFITT.

APPARATUS FOR MINING THE BEDS 0? RIVERS AND STREAMS.

No. 327,707. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

vii/11125525: M InUEnfUr:

N. PETERS Phwunm mn Walhinglum u. c.

(N0 ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' J. R. MOPFITT.

APPARATUS FOR MINING THE BEDS 0F RIVERS AND STREAMS. No. 327,707. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

Mfness s InLIEmnr:

LE: is H N. PETERS. Pnuwulm n her, Wflhingwn. D. c

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

J. R. MOPFITT.

Q MVS S (No Model.)

APPARATUS FOR MINING THE BEDS OF RIVERS AND STREAMS.

InLIEnfur:

N. PETERS. Phulolilhogmphun Washington. D. C.

Mfness'es (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. R. MOPFITT.

APPARATUS FOR MINING TRR BEDS 0? RIVERS AND STREAMS.

No. 327,707. Patented Oct. 6, 1885,

Mfnesses:

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N PETERS, Photo-Li'hnsn her, Washington. at.

Warren Brrns ATENT rricn.

JOHN MOFFITT, OF CHINESE CAMP, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR MINING THE BEDS OF RIVERS AND STREAMS.

SPECIPICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,707, dated OCtObe 1835- Application filed May 12, 1884.

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN It. Mormon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chinese Camp, Tuolumne county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for Mining the Beds of Rivers and Streams; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accom-' panying drawings.

My invention has for its object the production of an apparatusfor obtaining the free gold and sulphurets contained in the beds of streams and rivers; and it consists in anovel construction and combination of parts, hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The following description fully explains the nature of this invention and the manner in which I construct and operate the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents ageneral elevation of an apparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 represents the position and general arrangements of the apparatus when operating in the drained bed of a stream. This view also illus' tr-ates the mode of obtaining and applying the power from the water of the stream. Fig. 4 shows the wheel-crib and hose-sections in plan. Figs. 5 and G are details of the hose troughs or ways. Fig. 7 shows the couplingthimble and means for coupling, and Fig. 8 shows details of the swiveled frame or support for the elevator-wheels at the top of the frame.

It is well known thatthe bcdsofma-ny streams and rivers, particularly in the mining regions of the Pacific coast, contain gold deposits suiii- Serial No. 181,111.

(No model.)

the operation but also endangering and often destroying the apparatus. In this class of mining operations the successful working is best carried on by raising and treating those richer portions of the bed or bottom to bring them into a concentrated form for economical transportation, and then performing the other necessary operations or treatment afterward by the usual apparatus in any other convenient locality, as the quality ofthe matter when raised from the bed is generally too poor in gold to render its working in that condition of any advantage, but rather unprofitable.

My invention therefore provides an apparatus for raising the matter from the bed of the stream and reducing it to a concentrated form by extracting-the greater portion of the stones, sand, gravel, and other worthless mat ter on the spot, in which apparatus provision is also made for saving the finer free or float gold, and for obtaining from the stream itself the required power to run the apparatus. In

order to prevent derangement of the mechan ism and the loss of the matter in course of treatment from the rise of the stream, it includes also certain mechanism of such novel construction and combination that the apparatus can be raised and lowered as circumstances require.

Upon a mast or derrick, A, of sufficient height and fixed upright in the bed of the stream, is suspended a frame-work or cage formed of top and bottom timbers, B B, and uprights, B B. This frame is movable up and down, and can also swing about the mast. A Windlass, G, mounted on the top of the frame, and a rope, (Z, running over a sheave, D, at the top of the mast, serve for raising and lowering the frame and holding it at any point. On this frame are mounted in suitable bearings two upright shafts, E E, which at the lower ends are geared int-o apowershaft, G, by means of bevelgears F F, and at the upper ends carry bcvel'gears h It, that serve to operate the rag-wheels H H of two endless-chain bucketelevators at the top of the frame. By means of one of these elcvators the matter to be treated is raised from the bed of the stream up to the top of the frame, where a hopper, I, with a conductingspout, J, receives and distributes it to the apparat us below, while the other elevator is employed to carry up water for supplying the several parts of the apparatus. The hopper I receives the stuff carried up by the elevator, and by means of its spout J delivers the matter into the higher end of an inclined rotating barrel, K, which is of such construction that it is both a disintegrator, to reduce and break up the lumps of cement and other particles capable of being disintegrated by the tumbling and motion given by the rotation of the barrel to the material fed into it, and ascreen to separate the stones and such worthless matter and discharge them from the machine, leaving only the finer matter to be run through the other part of the apparatus. This pulverizer is mounted upon a suitable frame or platform, 13*, under the hopper I, and is supported on friction-wheel bearings by which also rotating motion is imparted; In this respect it is similar to washing screens and barrels of ordinary construction. Ithas circular flanged hoops k, that afford a track and hearing for the friction-wheels 10 7a. The lower and rear end is a cylindrical screen, L, beneath which is a hopper, M, to receive the finer matter, and from the end of the screen an inclined apron is carried out to the end of the frame, to discharge the stones and particles too coarse to pass through the screen.

The hopper M is supported in position directly over the upper end of a concentrating apparatus, N N, the office of which is to wash out and separate the light and worthless earthy matter and to obtain the valuable inetalliferous matter in a concentrated form. This concentrator is of the endless-belt kind, with the inclination and travel contrary to the current or flow of water over its surface;

- but in order to render this concentration the more effective and complete, and particular 1y to avoid the loss of the finer and lighter particles known as float gold, a speciallyconstructed concentrator has been devised, and is employed by me for this part of the general apparatus, the novel features of which are made the subject of a separate application for patent filed of even date with this application, Serial No. 131,112. Beneath this concentratorisalarge trough or settling-chamber, N, with sloping sides to retain the concentrations and allow the surplus water and earthy matter to run off. The bottom of this chamber has several draw-off tubes, pp, provided with gates, through which the settlings are drawn off into strainer-bags of canvas. (Seen at Y Y.) The supply of water for this concentrating operaation is taken from a water-hopper just over the top end of the concentrator-belt, which in turn is supplied from a water-tank, R, placed in the upper part of the frame, in position just under the endless'chain elevator, to receive the contents of the buckets as they turn over the wheel. This water-tank and hoppers and the concentrator are shown in section in the principal view, Fig. 1, and the boxing around the elevators is also partly broken away in order to the better show the details of construction and to illustrate the course of the matter through the several parts of the apparatus. At the lower part of the frame (also shown in section in this View) is a crib or wheel-pit, S, formed of a box with an opening in each end surrounded by a rim or nozzle, S (See Fig. 4.) Through these openings water is admitted into and carried out from the pit, and the power of this stream is sufficient to turn a bucket-wheel, T, fixed in the horizontal shaft G. The power for the purpose is obtained from the stream itself by fixing a dam, X, across it at any convenient point abox e the Workings and form an outlet in the dam, carrying a hose to the wheel-crib. This dam serves the twofold purpose of draining the stream to sufficiently uncover the bed for working and of producing a head of water to dr'ivethe elevators and other parts of the apparatus.

The shaft G is set across the crib and at the outer end is geared into the upright shafts E, as before described. It is movable vertically within slots S in the sides of the crib, to set the wheel up and down for the purpose of starting and stopping the machinery. The bearings of the shaft G are in boxes 9 g,set in slides h, that are movable vertically in guides upon the frame-uprights, and are raised and lowered by a rack and pinion, t t, a lever, or other suitable device. These slides are of such length that they cover the slots in the crib and prevent the escape of water. The upright shafts pass through brackets u u, that are fixed in these slides, and the bevel-gears F are secured to the shaft by a slot and feather. The shafts E, therefore, remain in gear under all movements. The upper andlower ends of the upright shafts are held in boxesff at top and bottom of the frame. The rag-wheels of the chain-elevators are fixed on short shafts m, that have hearings in a swinging hanger, P, formed with three arms, one being the main upright portion, P,and the others the two horizontal arms P P, the upright one having a box, 1? and F, at top and bottom, to take around the upright shaft, and the two lateral ones being furnished with studs or pins 1?, that set into the circular opening of a frame, Q. A third stud, P, on the lower end of the middle arm also sets into this opening, and these three points P* P Pibearing against the inner edge of this circle,serve to support and form points for the frame to turn on. This frame is composed of the two plates Q Q, set parallel, with the space between sufficient to-permit the passage of the elevator'buckets, and secured by the rods passing through ears q. The boxing and guides, as well as the elevator-wheels for the buckets, are supported by this frame and by virtue of its movement around the three points 1? P the chain of buckets is readily adjusted to any required inclination. This support Q is movable about the shaft E as a center, so that the lower end of the elevator can be carried around in a circle and shifted from point to point during the progress of the excavator.

The lower wheels of the elevators are set into frames or open boxes with bearings for the shafts, and are otherwise of such construction that they afford anchorage for the ends of the endless chains, and are also capable of being moved about, as required. By such universal movement of the elevator about the two centers a large extent of surface around the apparatus is reached.

The wheels H and the drivinggear m are cast in one piece, and the circular openings of the frames Q are of suitable size to take in the rims of the wheels, and their width of face is sufficient to shut in and form guides to the buckets where they pass around the ragwheels.

In proceeding to confine the water to furnish power an outlet with a gate to turn on and shutoff the supply is provided in the face of the dam, and from this point a line of hose is laid along the bottom of the stream. This hose can be of such size that the confined body of water is sufficient to furnish power to several bucket-wheels along the line of workings, for which purpose additional wheel-cribs will be placed at intervals apart in the line of hose; or a separate hose may be carried from the dam to each crib.

The hose V is made in sections united by couplings consisting of a thimble, V, with a turned-over or beaded edge, and the end of each section is provided with a similar enlarged edge, the adjacent ends of two sections being laid over each other around the thimble and a closejoint produced by a band of rope twisted around the coupling. This coupling is simple, cheap, and effective, and will resist all ordinary strain tending to part the sections.

Under some conditions, as where the confined stream runs from a head or source of considerable volume, it may be necessary to provide for carrying off the surplus water from the dam to prevent overflow; and for this purpose an additional outlet from the dam and a waste-water hose will lead off a portion of the water to a point of discharge beyond the workings.

A bed or trough for the line of hose is formed of sections .2 2, each one composed of two timbers, w, triangular in crosssection, set with the sloping sides inward, and joined at the ends by cross-slats z and tie-ropes passing diagonally through holes in the ends of the timbers, and thence through the slats. In the space along the bottom is laid a slat, h. One

such section or cradle is joined to another by similar ropes 2 z, so that the entire length of hose-bed is formed of these sections so loosely joined together that they can take any position as demanded by the variation in the level of the river'bcd, and be laid to any curve as required in the line of hose.

A support or bed for the hose of such apparatus to prevent wear and cutting through by the stony bottom is necessary in the economical working of such operation, and this construction of hose-trough, by the cheapness and simplicity and the readiness with which it can be taken up, laid down, and transported, is specially adapted to this purpose. In this manner I obtain the power to carry on the operation at a very low cost, and by means of the apparatus above described and the peculiar mode of mounting it I afford a simple and inexpensive as well as eflectivc means of operating upon such character of workings, and one also specially adapted to render profitable the mining of river-beds that under any other method heretofore employed would not prove remunerative.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described apparatus, comprising a suitable frame capable of being moved up and down, a supporting mast or derrick, the elevators, a disintegrating and screening apparatus, a concentratingmachine, a settling trough or chamber, a water-supply tank, a power-shaft, the bucket-wheel, the pit or crib, and the countershafts transmitting motion to the several moving parts of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus described, comprising the elevator, spout, disintegrating and separating barrel, the concentrating device, feed-hopper, receiving-trough, draw-off outlets, and a wa t er-supply.

3. The combination ofthe supporting-mast, the frame 13 B, the wheel pit or crib S, the power-wheel and shaft, the supply and waste outlets S", and a hose or water conductor having connection with a head or source of water supply.

4. The combination, with the line of hy d raulic hose, of the ways or troughs .2, formed of section-timbers united by crossslats z and ropes z, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with and upon the frame or cage I3 I3, of the upright shafts E, the swinging hangers formed of the three arms P I I the wheel-frames Q Q, having circular openings, the rag-wheels and shaft, and the bevclgeurs m h.

JOHN It. IlIOFFITT.

IVitnesscs:

EDWARD. E. OSBORN, J. L. TAGGARD. 

